TexasCHLforum.com

http://gawker.com/5909283/german-police ... -last-year

http://news.yahoo.com/german-police-use ... 55175.html

http://now.msn.com/now/0511-german-police-bullets.aspx

The above links cover the story, in slightly different detail and photos, that German police used only 85 rounds of ammo
in all of 2011, at or near BG's.

They used a lot more rounds taking care of animal problems.

The 3 links above are written by anti's, but still of interest. Germany has 80 million people, about 25% of the US' 310 million folks.

SIA

Not having read the articles yet but first question that popped into my head was what is their crime levels like? Specifically, violent crimes. And, do they have a large criminal gangs problem? I'm thinking apples and oranges.

Well, hey, it Germany!

Their preferred method is poison gas.

German Police Used Only 85 Bullets Against People
Good question on their crime rate ... their land mass and diversity of peoples may be a little smaller than ours
Do they have the same type Prison "early release programs"
\
Perhaps they are better shots and don't spray and pray, but hit what they intended?
Maybe they require more range practice?

Is this just a claim that German Walthers are more accurate than higher capacity Glocks used here?

Technically, about 9,000 more shots were fired at sick and dangerous animals.

Call PETA

Here's one bullet maybe ...

Nigerian woman killed by German police
Nigerian Woman Shot Dead By German Police Over Welfare Allowance
http://www.africanoutlookonline.com/ind ... an-police-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In USA I don't think we execute people for misuse of food stamps/welfare ...
However the facts are as obsure as Travon/Zimmerman... if she indeed decided to produce a knife instead of her ID card ???... to stab an officer...

Sources said that the Benin- born Nigerian woman wanted her support money in bar rather than the normal bank transfer payment.

According to newspapers' report, the problem escalated when she was told that it would not be possible to pay her in bar.

Newspapers' report said that rather than producing her Identity card, the Nigerian allegedly pulled out an eleven inch long blade knife out of her pocket - and stabbed the police woman on her thigh.

The police woman was alleged to have acted in self defense by fatally shooting the Nigerian in the stomach. "The 39 year old was confirmed dead an hour later from the injuries sustained from the gun short" German newspapers reported.

The police story, many Africans in Germany said was unbelievable because of the antecedents of the German police officers whom many alleged have history of high-handedness against foreigners especially people of African descent.

also at http://www.nairaland.com/678391/nigeria ... d-german/2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The fact is that the western European countries (not including the U.K.) have much lower rates of serious violent crime than the U.S. Their criminals tend to use knives, clubs, or fists. They also don't have the Bonnie & Clyde attitude of shooting at cops, which is unfortunately too common in the U.S.

There are a lot of reasons for all this. These countries don't have the kind of widespread multi-generation poverty that we have in the U.S., which leads to feral teenagers dealing drugs and running in armed gangs. They don't have segregated slums (though slums are emerging in some countries).

They do have illegal drug smuggling and other illegal activity like prostitution, but it tends to be tightly controlled by organized crime.

Also the population of Europe is much older than the population of the U.S. It's a simple fact that most crimes are committed by young men. The U.S. peak of violent crime around 1990-92 coincided with a peak in that demographic group.

Here is a simple comparison:
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvinco.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Note that these figure are from the 1990s and not all from the same year. No one does this kind of survey regularly.

These figures are more current but not laid out in a way that is easy to understand at a glance:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_m ... per-capita" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_m ... h-firearms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also note that some countries have unusually high murder rates that have nothing to do with firearms ownership. Taiwan, for example, has a worse murder rate than the U.S., but most homicides there are committed with other weapons (or poison, etc.). Some countries such as Israel have firearms ownership comparable to the U.S., but low rates of homicide.

Violent crime rates in Europe are changing. The western countries are being infiltrated by criminals from eastern Europe (former Soviet bloc) that are more violent. Also with eastern countries coming into the E.U. the borders are more porous and there is more weapon smuggling.

- Jim